Control valve for fluid treatment apparatus

ABSTRACT

A control valve for a fluid treatment apparatus is provided, including a valve body having a control portion and a treatment portion, the portions being separated from each other so that fluid in the control portion is isolated from fluid in the treatment portion. The treatment portion includes a plurality of piston valves reciprocating in corresponding openings defined in a corresponding number of cylinders for controlling water to be treated in the apparatus. Each of the cylinders has a plurality of peripherally spaced, vertically-extending guide ribs configured for facilitating engagement of the piston valves with the openings and for reducing unwanted cavitation.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of, and claims priority under 35U.S.C. 120 from Ser. No. 16/560,807, filed Sep. 4, 2019, which is adivisional of, and claims priority under 35 USC 120 from U.S. Ser. No.15/282,452 filed Sep. 30, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,612,670, and whichclaims priority under 35 USC 119 from U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 62/245,751 filed on Oct. 23, 2015 which is incorporated byreference.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to fluid flow control systems,and more specifically to a water softener control valve.

Water softener control valves often use pistons equipped with radialring seals to control flow in a cylinder of the valve. Such controls areused to periodically seal off certain flow paths and open others, underthe control of a timer portion of the control valve. As is known in theart, such softeners periodically cycle between service, backwash, brinerinse, slow rinse, fast rinse, brine refill and other operations wellknown to designers of such equipment. Operation of such valves isdescribed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,302,631; 6,644,349 and 6,176,258, all ofwhich are incorporated by reference.

There is a need for an improved fluid treatment apparatus control valvewhich is easier to manufacture and assemble.

SUMMARY

The above-identified need is met by the present water treatment controlvalve, which is particularly suited for use in commercial style watersofteners. Features included on the present control valve include animproved piston valve and cylinder assembly, which enhances fluidshutoff without generating cavitation forces that potentially impair aproperly sealed shutoff of flow. This construction includes upper andlower piston valve portions sandwiching a resilient seal, and having atoothed periphery to allow pressure bleed-off as the piston valvecloses. The cylinder is also preferably provided with formations forguiding the piston valve into position and for reducing abrupt pressurevariations.

Another feature is that a lower, tank adapter portion is secured to alower end of a control valve body by an easily removable clamp, andfluid connections between the two portions are sealed by a plurality ofradial seals. The present control valve also features a vacuum breakerintegrally molded with the tank adapter portion and being in directcommunication with the treatment tank. Similarly, a pressure reliefvalve is also integrally molded into the tank adapter portion of thevalve. Selected ports of the valve body are provided with clipsconfigured for facilitating connection and disconnection of associatednipple fittings. Further, at an upper end of the valve body, oppositethe tank adapter portion, a spool controller is integrally connected toa cap for routing control water and thus controlling movement of thepiston valves. In addition, the tank adapter portion is provided witheasily convertible upflow/downflow adapter fittings for changing thedirection of fluid flow during operational cycles.

Still another feature of the present control valve is the constructionof the valve body to create a plurality of piston valves, each includinga vertically reciprocating piston. Each piston valve includes a cylinderhaving an upper end defining an opening receiving the piston valve. Aplurality of peripherally spaced, vertically-extending guide ribs arelocated at an upper surface of the opening and are configured forfacilitating engagement of the piston valves with the openings and forreducing unwanted cavitation.

More specifically, a control valve for a fluid treatment apparatus isprovided, including a valve body having a control portion and atreatment portion, the portions being separated from each other so thatfluid in the control portion is isolated from fluid in the treatmentportion. The treatment portion includes a plurality of piston valvesreciprocating in corresponding openings defined in a correspondingnumber of cylinders for controlling water to be treated in theapparatus. Each of the cylinders has a plurality of peripherally spaced,vertically-extending guide ribs configured for facilitating engagementof the piston valves with the openings and for reducing unwantedcavitation.

In an embodiment, each guide rib has a beveled interior edge at an upperend. Also, the beveled interior edge faces an interior of the cylinder,and extends from an upper edge of the opening to an upper end of theguide rib. In another embodiment, the beveled edge defines an angle anda first piston valve half defines a complementarily angled edge forpromoting piston guidance into the cylinder.

In an embodiment, each guide rib extends vertically past an upper end ofthe corresponding opening in the cylinder. Also, each guide rib projectsradially inwardly from an inner surface of the cylinder.

In another embodiment, a control valve for a fluid treatment device isprovided, including a valve body having a control portion and atreatment portion, and at least one port constructed and arranged forreleasably accommodating a connection nipple fitting. A quick releaseclip connects the nipple fitting to the associated port, the clip beinggenerally “U”-shaped when viewed from the front or rear, and havingdepending, biased arms with free ends having formations constructed andarranged for releasably lockingly engaging associated hook lugs on thevalve body for preventing release of the clip from the valve body.

In an embodiment, the at least one port includes at least one of aninlet port, an outlet port and a drain outlet port. In a preferredembodiment, the formations on the free ends of the clip are “T”-barformations, extending transversely from ends of the free ends. In anembodiment, the quick release clip includes at least one depending guideformation for engaging a corresponding slot in the port and anassociated groove in the nipple.

In another preferred embodiment, depending guide formations are locatedbetween the depending biased arms. In a preferred embodiment of theclips, there is a pair of the guide formations. In an embodiment, a tabis provided on an upper end of the clip configured for facilitatinggrasping by an operator for releasing the clip for removing the nipplefitting.

In the preferred control valve, the hook lugs are secured to the valvebody in spaced parallel orientation for accommodating free ends of thebiased arms. Also, the hook lugs are wedge-shaped, and extend graduallyfarther from the valve body closer to an engagement point of theformations on the free ends.

In still another embodiment, a clip is provided for use with a fluidtreatment device control valve having a valve body and at least one pairof hook lugs located in spaced, parallel relationship on the valve body,and at least one port constructed and arranged for releasablyaccommodating a connection nipple fitting. The clip includes a general“U”-shape when viewed from the front or rear, including a pair ofdepending, biased arms with free ends having “T”-bar formations,extending transversely from ends of the free ends and being constructedand arranged for releasably lockingly engaging the hook lugs on thevalve body for preventing release of the clip from the valve body. Atleast one depending guide formation is configured for engaging acorresponding slot in the port and an associated groove in the nipple,the at least one guide formation being located between the dependingarms; and a tab on an upper end of the clip is configured forfacilitating grasping by an operator for releasing the clip for removingthe nipple fitting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the present control valve mounted ona treatment tank;

FIG. 2 is an overhead plan view of the control vale of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded top perspective view of the pilot valve of thepresent control valve;

FIG. 3A is an exploded perspective view of the present spool controllerfor the present valve shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section of the present controlvalve in a piston closed position;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section of the present controlvalve in a piston open position;

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of the present valve in partialvertical cross-section;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary top perspective view of the valve ofFIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary top perspective of the cylinderportion of the valve of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation and partial vertical cross-section of thepresent control valve;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the piston andcylinder engagement in the present control valve;

FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the present piston valve;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary enlarged bottom view of the piston of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is an exploded bottom perspective view of the present piston;

FIG. 14 is a bottom perspective view of the present control valve;

FIG. 15 is an exploded bottom perspective view of the present controlvalve;

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary top perspective view of the tank adapter of thepresent control valve;

FIG. 17 is an exploded top perspective view of the tank adapter shown inFIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a front elevation of a clip used in the present controlvalve;

FIG. 19 is a top perspective view of the clip of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is an exploded side perspective view of the present controlvalve showing engagement of the clip of FIGS. 18 and 19;

FIG. 21 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the clip shown inFIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is an overhead plan view of a brine redirect cap in the presentcontrol valve;

FIG. 23 is a top perspective view of the cap of FIG. 22; and

FIG. 24 is an exploded top perspective view of the present control valveshowing the positioning of the cap of FIGS. 22 and 23.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, a control valve, generally designated10 is provided for use in controlling fluid flow in a fluid treatmentapparatus, generally designated 12. In the preferred embodiment thetreatment apparatus is a water softener and the tank 12 is a resin tank,however other types of water filtration or fluid treatment devices arecontemplated. Also in the present discussion, “fluid” is intended tomean any type of flowing liquid, but preferably refers to water.

The present control valve 10 has a valve body 14 with a valve body cap16 mounted to an upper end 18, and a tank adapter 20 mounted to a lowerend 22 of the valve body. In addition, the valve body 14 has an upper orcontrol portion 24 located closer to the cap 16 than to the tank adapter20, and a treatment portion 26 located closer to the tank adapter thanto the cap. In a normal operating position, the control portion 24 islocated above the treatment portion 26, and there is no fluidcommunication between the control portion and the treatment portion sothat the control fluid is isolated and maintained separate from thetreatment fluid. As is well known in the water softening art, thecontrol valve 10 has an inlet port 28, an outlet port 30, a drain outletport 32 and a brine inlet port 33.

Referring now to FIGS. 3, 3A and 4, the cap 16 is provided with a spoolcontroller 34 including a housing 35 enclosing a spool body 36 enclosinga rotating spool 37 and being held in a bracket 38. It is preferred thata lower portion 39 of the bracket 38 is integrally secured to the cap16, as by ultrasonic welding, heat staking, chemical adhesive, or thelike. The spool 36 has a plurality of flow ports 40 that are used tocontrol fluid flow received from a pilot line 42 which draws a portionof fluid flow from the inlet port 28 and directs the flow into the spoolcontroller 34. The preferable hexagonal vertical cross-sectional shapeof the spool body 36 is complementary to corresponding portions of thespool bracket 38 and the lower portion 39. This construction enables asingle seal member, preferably an O-ring 38 a to provide a leak-freeconnection between the spool body 36, the bracket and the lower portion39. An advantage of this construction is the ability to avoid multipleindividual tubing and fitting connections, and the use of gaskets, whichare prone to leakage. In other words, the housing portions 38 and 39 areplaced in fluid communication with the spool body 36 without the use ofgaskets, with mechanical fasteners holding the parts together, and theleak protection being provided by the resilient seals (O-rings) 38 a.

A clock or timer mechanism 44 rotates the spool 36, and thus directspilot fluid flow to a designated one of a plurality of piston valves 46,each reciprocating in a designated cylinder 48. In the preferredembodiment, there are eight piston valves 46, however the number ofvalves may vary to suit the application. Also, an indicator wheel 47secured to an end of the spool 37 for common rotation has apertures orslots 49 in various arrangements on its peripheral edge for coordinationwith an opto-sensor 49 a or the like connected to a main control valveprinted circuit board (PCB) (not shown) for coordinating the variousoperational stages of the valve 10. In addition, the position ofapertures 49 on the wheel 47 as well as optional numerical indicators 49b (FIG. 3a ) is visible by an operator through a window 49 c in thehousing 35 so that the operator can monitor the operational status ofthe valve 10.

In the preferred embodiment, the lower portion 39 of the bracket 38 hasinternal flow passages 39 a (FIG. 3) that are in fluid communicationwith corresponding passages 39 b in the cap 16. Pilot flow is directedthrough engagement fittings such as flow channels or ports 50 (FIG. 4)located in the cap 16, and each flow channel is associated with aparticular cylinder 48. The movement of the piston valves 46 in therespective cylinders 48, through action of the pilot flow from the spoolcontroller 34, causes the control valve 10 to cycle between the variousknown water softener operational positions which are well known in theart. Such cycle operations include service, backwash, brine rinse, slowrinse, fast rinse, brine refill and the like, described in greaterdetail in the patents referenced above.

It should be noted that the movement of the piston valves 46 iscontrolled by the spool controller 34 using only the pilot flow offluid. Also, the pilot flow of fluid remains in the control portion 24and as described above, does not mix with the fluid in the treatmentportion 26 of the valve body.

Referring now to FIGS. 4-13, an important feature of the present controlvalve 10 is that the piston valves 46 and the associated cylinders 48are constructed and arranged to dampen the sometimes abrupt pressurechanges which occur when treatment fluid flow is redirected within thevalve, during operational cycle changes.

Each piston valve 46 includes a main shaft 52 having an upper flange 54located in the control portion 24 and configured for periodicallyreceiving pilot flow from the spool controller 34. At least one radialseal 56, such as an “O”-ring or the like seals the area of the cylinder48 below the flange from access to the control portion 24 and anycontrol fluid. In the preferred embodiment, multiple “O”-rings 56 b arealso provided to separate the control portion 24 from the treatment orflow portion 26. Opposite the upper flange 54, the piston valve 46 isprovided with a first piston valve half 58, a second piston valve half60 complementary to the first piston valve half, and a resilient seal 62constructed and arranged for being sandwiched between the first andsecond piston valve halves. Each of the first and second valve halveshas a common diameter and combines to define a pocket 64 foraccommodating the resilient seal 62.

Referring to FIGS. 7-13, in the preferred embodiment, the resilient seal62 has a generally “T”-shaped vertical cross-section including a mainbody 66 and a pair of outwardly extending arms 68. The arms 68 aresecured in the pocket 64 formed by respective portions of the first andsecond valve halves 58, 60. In addition, the body 66 extends radiallyfrom a peripheral edge 70 for creating a wiping seal with a cylinderwall 72 (FIG. 8) for preventing fluid flow into the cylinder 48 as thepiston approaches and engages the cylinder (FIG. 10).

Another feature of the piston valve 46 is that the first piston valvehalf 58 is constructed and arranged for engaging the cylinder 48 beforethe second piston valve half 60, and the exterior peripheral edge 70includes a plurality of peripherally spaced teeth 74 creating flowspaces 76 between the teeth (FIGS. 11 and 12). In the preferredembodiment the teeth 74 are regularly spaced, and comprise approximatelyhalf of the peripheral edge of the first valve half 58. Thisconstruction has been found to dampen the often abrupt pressure changesexperienced in the valve 10 when the piston valve 46 seals the cylinder48 during operation. Such pressure changes have been known to createdisruptive cavitation to the extent that proper sealing of the cylinder48 has been impaired. A suitable fastener 78, such as a threaded screw,secures the first and second halves 58, 60 and indirectly the resilientseal 62, to an end of the piston shaft 52 (FIG. 13).

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, another feature of the present valve 10is that each cylinder 48 includes a complementary opening 80 dimensionedfor receiving the piston valve 46, and has a plurality of peripherallyspaced guide ribs 82, each said rib having a beveled interior edge 84.The guide ribs project axially above the opening 80, facilitateengagement of the piston valve 46 with the opening and further reduceunwanted cavitation. It is further preferred that the beveled edge 84defines an angle α, and the first piston valve half 58 defines acomplementarily angled edge 86 (FIGS. 10, 13) for promoting pistonguidance into the cylinder 48.

Referring now to FIGS. 14-17 and 24, the tank adapter 20 defines aplurality of generally cylindrical seats 88 open to an upper surface 90that is secured to the lower end 22 of the valve body 14. The seats 88are part of a plate 91 (FIG. 24) joined to the tank adapter 20 byultrasonic welding, hot plate welding, chemical adhesives or fastenersas known in the art. In FIGS. 16 and 17, the seats 88 are shown notattached to the tank adapter 20. Each of the seats 88 corresponds to andis in registry with an associated one of the cylinders 48. A centraloutlet aperture 92 permits fluid flow of treated fluid between thecontrol valve 10 and the treatment tank 12. Furthermore, a resilientannular seal 94 such as an “O”-ring or the like (FIG. 15) is sealinglydisposed in each seat 88 and circumscribes the cylinders 48 forpreventing fluid passage between the cylinder 48 and the tank adapter 20once the tank adapter is attached to the valve body 14. Also, throughthe use of the seals 94, the tank adapter 20 is connected to the lowervalve body end 22 more simply and easily, without requiring a gasket.Thus, the same type of resilient seals around flow passages and gasketfree attachment system described above relating to the spool controller34 is employed in attaching the valve body 14 to the tank adapter 20.

Referring now to FIGS. 4, 5 and 15, the above-described attachmentbetween the tank adapter 20 and the valve body 14 is further simplifiedby being accomplished by a single clamp 96 joining the tank adapter tothe valve body. A feature of the present valve 10 is that the tankadapter 20 is secured to the valve body 14 solely by the clamp 96. Asseen in FIG. 15, the clamp 96 is provided in two “C”-shaped portions 98joined at opposing free ends 100 using fasteners 102 such as screws orthe like (FIG. 4). Also, as seen in FIG. 15, clamping engagement of thetank adapter 20 to the valve body 14 is preferably achieved by the clamp96 securely engaging and axially compressing respective radiallyextending flanges 104, 106 of the treatment portion 26 of the valve body14 and the tank adapter 20. With this arrangement, since the connectionis not exposed to water pressure, the control valve 10 can be fabricatedwith lighter materials to save cost, while still maintaining a strongconnection to the valve adapter 20. Further, the single clamp 96 is easyto disassemble and yet securely holds the valve body 14 to the tankadapter 20.

Referring again to FIGS. 16 and 17, another feature of the presentcontrol valve 10 is that a vacuum breaker 108 is associated with thetank adapter 20, and preferably is integrally molded with the tankadapter and in fluid communication with the tank 12. This communicationis through the central outlet aperture 92. In conventional controlvalves, vacuum breakers are provided to protect the valve and treatmentdevice from vacuum damage resulting when the fluid supply is turned off.In some cases, the elevation from sea level of the installation is afactor in such vacuum damage. Conventionally, one breaker is providedupstream of the valve and/or downstream to protect the tank fromcollapsing during operation of the valve. By being in directcommunication with the tank, as in the present valve 10, only one vacuumbreaker 108 is needed. The present vacuum breaker 108 is held in placewith a plug 110 engaged in a designated port 112 and held in place by aclip as described below in relation to FIGS. 18-21.

A pressure relief valve (PRV) 114 is also mounted to the tank adapter20. The PRV 114 is provided to prevent damage to the valve 10 caused bypressure spikes resulting from rapid turning on or off of fluid underpressure. As seen in FIGS. 16 and 17, the valve 114 is enclosed within avalve housing 116 having a plug 118 at an open end. Opposite the plug118, the valve housing 116 is secured to the tank adapter 20 using aclip 120, described in greater detail below. While other positions arecontemplated, in the preferred embodiment, the PRV 114 is disposed onthe valve adapter 20 diametrically opposite to the vacuum breaker 108.Upon assembly, the valve 10 with the tank adapter 20 is secured to thetreatment tank 12 through threaded engagement with a depending tankfitting 122.

Referring now to FIGS. 18-21 and 24, still another feature of thepresent control valve 10 is that quick, secure connection of inputand/or outlet conduits or other accessories having connection nipplefittings 124 is achieved using the releasable, retained clip 120. Eachclip 120 is used to connect a nipple fitting 124 to an associated port126 on the valve body 14 or on the tank adapter 20, and is movablebetween a release position (FIGS. 20, 21) and an engaged position (FIG.24). The clip 120 is generally “U”-shaped when viewed from the front orrear (FIG. 18) and has a pair of biased arms 128 each having free ends130 with “T”-bar formations 132. Associated hook lugs 134 on the port126 receive and retain the “T”-bar formations 132 to prevent the clip120 from being removed from the port 126 in an upward vertical movement.In addition, the clip 120 includes at least one depending guideformation 136 for engaging a corresponding slot 138 in the port 126 andan associated groove 140 in the nipple fitting 124 (FIG. 20).Preferably, there are a pair of depending guide formations 136, eachassociated with an associated groove 140 on each side of the nipplefitting 124. A tab 142 on an upper end 144 of the clip facilitatesgrasping by an operator for releasing the clip 120 when desired. Ifdesired, the tab 142 is graspable using a pliers. The clips 120 are usedto secure the vacuum breaker 108, the PRV 114, a drain line 146, andother connections as desired. In the case of the drain line 146, theclip 120 is used to permit easy access to a flow control disk (notshown). In other situations, the clip 120 is used to permit the valvebody 14 to accommodate nipple fittings 124 having a variety of threadpatterns.

Referring now to FIGS. 22-24, yet another feature of the present controlvalve 10 is a brine redirect cap or flow director 148 used to alter theflow direction of brine in the treatment tank 12 during regeneration,alternating between upflow and downflow, as is well known in the art.The cap 148 is dimensioned for being easily installed or removed from adesignated recess 150 in the tank adapter 20. Included in the recess 150is a pair of apertures (not shown), each connected to a respective endof the treatment tank 12.

Included on the cap 148 is a cup portion 152 defining an inner chamber154. A nipple plug 156 depends from the cup portion 152 and isconfigured for engaging a selected one of the apertures in the recess150. The cup portion 152 also has a flow aperture 158 dimensioned to bein registry with the other of the two apertures in the recess 150. Atleast one gripping tab 160 projects vertically in the chamber 154 forgrasping by an operator. In use, the operator grasps the tabs and pullsup on the cap 148, and plugs the appropriate one of the two apertures inthe recess 150, leaving the other aperture open for flow. In thismanner, the flow direction is easily changed by pulling the cap 148 andaxially rotating it to selectively plug one of the apertures in therecess 150, without requiring major changes in the valve 10 or reroutingof treatment water.

While a particular embodiment of the present control valve for a fluidtreatment apparatus has been shown and described, it will be appreciatedby those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be madethereto without departing from the invention in its broader aspects andas set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed:
 1. A control valve for a fluid treatment apparatus,comprising: a valve body having a control portion and a treatmentportion, said portions being separated from each other so that fluid insaid control portion is isolated from fluid in said treatment portion;said treatment portion including a plurality of piston valvesreciprocating in corresponding openings defined in a correspondingnumber of cylinders for controlling water to be treated in saidapparatus; each of said cylinders having a plurality of peripherallyspaced, vertically-extending guide ribs configured for facilitatingengagement of said piston valves with said openings and for reducingunwanted cavitation.
 2. The control valve of claim 1, wherein each saidguide rib has a beveled interior edge at an upper end.
 3. The controlvalve of claim 2, wherein said beveled interior edge faces an interiorof said cylinder, and extends from an upper edge of said opening to anupper end of said guide rib.
 4. The control valve of claim 2, whereinbeveled edge defines an angle and a first piston valve half defines acomplementarily angled edge for promoting piston guidance into saidcylinder.
 5. The control valve of claim 1, wherein each said guide ribextends vertically past an upper end of said corresponding opening insaid cylinder.
 6. The control valve of claim 1, wherein each said guiderib projects radially inwardly from an inner surface of said cylinder.7. A control valve for a fluid treatment device, comprising: a valvebody having a control portion and a treatment portion, and at least oneport constructed and arranged for releasably accommodating a connectionnipple fitting; and a quick release clip connecting said nipple fittingto said associated port, said clip being generally “U”-shaped whenviewed from the front or rear, and having depending, biased arms withfree ends having formations constructed and arranged for releasablylockingly engaging associated hook lugs on said valve body forpreventing release of said clip from said valve body.
 8. The controlvalve of claim 7, wherein said at least one port includes at least oneof an inlet port, an outlet port and a drain outlet port.
 9. The controlvalve of claim 7, wherein said formations on said free ends of said clipare “T”-bar formations, extending transversely from ends of said freeends.
 10. The control valve of claim 7, wherein said quick release clipincludes at least one depending guide formation for engaging acorresponding slot in said port and an associated groove in said nipple.11. The control valve of claim 10, wherein said depending guideformations are located between said depending biased arms.
 12. Thecontrol valve of claim 11, further including a pair of said guideformations.
 13. The control valve of claim 7, further including a tab onan upper end of said clip configured for facilitating grasping by anoperator for releasing said clip for removing said nipple fitting. 14.The control valve of claim 7, wherein said hook lugs are secured to saidvalve body in spaced parallel orientation for accommodating free ends ofsaid biased arms.
 15. The control valve of claim 14, wherein said hooklugs are wedge-shaped, and extend gradually farther from said valve bodycloser to an engagement point of said formations on said free ends. 16.A clip for use with a fluid treatment device control valve having avalve body and at least one pair of hook lugs located in spaced,parallel relationship on said valve body, and at least one portconstructed and arranged for releasably accommodating a connectionnipple fitting, said clip comprising: a general “U”-shape when viewedfrom the front or rear, including a pair of depending, biased arms withfree ends having “T”-bar formations, extending transversely from ends ofsaid free ends and being constructed and arranged for releasablylockingly engaging the hook lugs on the valve body for preventingrelease of the clip from the valve body; at least one depending guideformation for engaging a corresponding slot in the port and anassociated groove in the nipple, said at least one guide formation beinglocated between said depending arms; and a tab on an upper end of saidclip configured for facilitating grasping by an operator for releasingthe clip for removing the nipple fitting.